First, last, and best Thanksgiving ever
by imdeadsothere
Summary: While desperately trying to finish a Potions essay Harry finds himself invited to a Thanksgiving dinner. With Voldemort on the rise and his friends more interested in each other than their friendship, what could he possibly have to be thankful for?


_Stupid sadistic Snape_. Harry thought, digging through his book desperately trying to finish the essay that had been assigned. Hermione had finished hers long ago. Then she even let Ron use hers for "reference." Hermione did have a major huge crush on Ron, but that didn't mean that she couldn't have let Harry borrow hers too. But _noooo_ she just had to make Harry write a three foot essay on "What is a beazor" all by himself. So far all he had were two sentences. So much for trying to _not_ fail at potions. It wasn't made much better by the fact that right after that he had another huge essay for Prof. McGonagall. Once again Hermione had finished hers and would let Ron see it but not Harry.

"Grrr," Harry let out a small growl. He slammed his test book shut and threw it at the wall.

"Anger problems much?" Harry turned to the voice. A young girl, probably fourth of fifth year stood there, a small smile on her face. She was unusually well dressed in silk dress robes.

"It's just some essay," Harry mumbled. He got up to retrieve his book.

"Well it looks like you need a break, wanna come down with me for Thanksgiving dinner? I'm Rina by the way,"

"Thanksgiving?" Harry asked, looking at her quizzically.

"It's a muggle American holiday," Rina explained quickly, "If you'll come you'll learn more,"

"Sure why not, it's not like this essay is going anywhere," Harry mumbled.

"Oh cheer up," Rina said, leading him out the portrait and into the hall, "It's not like the world has ended,"

"I spose it hasn't... yet," Harry replied. Rina laughed.

"Well then enjoy life before that yet becomes right now,"

"Optimistic much?" Harry noted.

"I guess,"

"Is the glass half-full or half-empty?"

"Pour the water in a smaller cup, then it's always full,"

"That's the first time I've ever heard it answered in that way,"

"And it'll probably be the last, anyways, we're here," Harry hadn't noticed where they were going but now he saw that they were in front of Prof. McGonagalls classroom. Harry had had Transfiguration there earlier that day. He had also received a large essay from her that day too.

"I hope I'm not under dressed," Harry mumbled, his eyes flicking towards Rina's silk dress robes. Then he followed her into the room.

All the desks had been replaced with a table. At the table sat a few students who looked to be about Rina's age and a few teachers, including Prof. McGonagall, Prof. Sprout, Prof. Dumbledore, Prof. Snape and Hagrid. Hagrid waved cheerfully at Harry making everyone in the room turn to stare at Harry.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise," Prof. McGonagall said, "I wasn't expecting anyone who wasn't a fourth year or a teacher to come," So Rina _was_ a fourth year. Harry sat down next to Hagrid, Rina plopped down on his other side. The only bad part about his position was that he was sitting across from Snape. The good thing though was that both Dumbledore and McGonagall were there, so Snape shouldn't pick on him _too_ much.

"I don't think anyone else is coming," Prof. McGonagall noted, "So, Rina, would you like to begin?"

"I'd love too," Rina said cheerfully, "Well, as you probably already know we are here to celebrate Thanksgiving, which is a muggle holiday in the United States. The point of the holiday is to give thanks for all the things you have rather than dwelling on the things you don't have. So, what I would like us to do is go around and have each person say a couple of things that they are thankful for, I'll start," Rina paused for a moment, contemplating.

"I am thankful for my family and friends, for all the people brave and crazy enough to come to this, for my teachers who have shoved, and will continue to shove, knowledge into my head, no matter how hard the process is, so, let's move on, Sara?" fortunately Rina didn't turn toward him and instead turned toward the girl on her other side to continue.

The process continued. Sara was thankful for Bobby, her pet turtle. Trenton, Sara's twin brother was thankful for yummy food. Rina's best friend Mila was thankful that she hadn't been mauled by a bear, but that she kinda wished she had because then maybe Emmett Cullen would come along and feel sorry for her having been in that position once himself and then he would rescue her from the clutches of the hungry bear and take her home to his castle were they would live happily forever after. Dumbledore was thankful that he had nice warm wool socks on his feet. McGonagall was thankful for her students. Snape was thankful that he wasn't dead, Sporout was thankful for all the "lovely, lovely plants in the world" and Hagrid was thankful for Harry, Hermione and Ron. now it was Harry's turn. Harry didn't say anything.

"Do you not have anything to be thankful for?" Rina asked.

"Not really," Harry mumbled.

"What about your friends?" Harry shook his head.

"I'm kind of ticked off at them actually," he admitted.

"Did they convert to cannibalism and feast on your brains?" Mila asked.

"No," Harry replied.

"Well there you go, first thing to be thankful for,"

"And the chances of them becoming cannibals and feasting on my brains are?"

"It's a possibility," Mila said defensively.

"You're right, there is, so that's one thing to be thankful for,"

"What about cookies, you should be thankful for cookies," Trenton called out.

"And turtles," Sara piped in.

"And socks," Dumbledore added.

"Me!" Hagrid said cheerfully.

"Teachers," McGonagall contributed.

"Don't forget the many glorious plants in our world," Prof. Sprout said.

"At least you're not like a slave or something," Rina pointed out. Now only Snape was left to add something.

"You should be thankful that I am excusing you from writing that essay on beazoars," Snape said. Everyone stared at him open mouthed.

"You are?" Harry asked. Snape nodded.

"In that case I'm thankful that Snape isn't totally evil,"

"I wish _we_ got excused from homework," Mila muttered jealously.

"You can be excused from my homework then," Prof. McGonoagall said, "All of you, including you Mr. Potter, just because you had the guts to come to this,"

"Well it is a Gryffindor trait," Sara pointed out, "Guts I mean,"

"Everyone has guts," Trenton argued, "I bet if we dissected a Slytherin we'd find guts,"

"Cool! Can we try?" Mila asked.

"Try what, dissecting a Slytherin?"

"Yeah, I've always wanted to see a persons guts,"

"Well if one dies we'll be the first to let you know so that you can dissect them," Dumbledore said.

"Sweeteness!"

"Can we eat now?" Trenton asked.

"Yes please, the faster the turkey is gone, the faster we get to the pumpkin pie," Mila said, forgetting about dissected Slytherins for a moment, her thoughts turning toward pumpkin pie.

"Dig in everybody!" Rina said happily. They did. Harry had quite a happy dinner, it was made better by the fact that when he got back to the common room he wouldn't have to write that essay. Either of those essays actually.


End file.
